Lambert to Liverpool, Koke and MUFC

Rumours, gossip, transfer news and signings from all of the top European clubs. It's Transfer Talk time!

Liverpool bid for Lambert

At first glance, the thought of Liverpool signing a 32-year-old striker as back-up to Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge seems pretty uninspiring. But when you consider that Rickie Lambert has scored 28 goals during his two years in the top flight to earn a place in England's World Cup squad, this move makes a lot more sense.

Southampton may see another one of their stars fly the coop with Rickie Lambert rumoured to be off to Liverpool.

Lambert isn't just a goal threat, either. The forward claimed 10 assists this season -- which is more than Mesut Ozil and David Silva -- as Southampton recorded their highest-ever Premier League finish. According to The Guardian, Liverpool have offered an initial 4 million pounds for the former beetroot factory employee and hope to secure a deal before Lambert jets off to Miami with England on Sunday.

Meanwhile, the Reds have also made a 16-million-pound bid for Spain left-back Alberto Moreno, who helped Sevilla win the Europa League earlier this month.

Lazar quest

This is an exciting piece of gossip from The Daily Star, which claims that Liverpool have sneaked ahead of Chelsea in the race for Benfica wonderkid Lazar Markovic.

The 20-year-old made 25 appearances in Benfica's title win, scoring five goals, but missed the Europa League final after being sent off for his part in a mass brawl against Juventus in the semifinal.

It's thought that Markovic would cost around 30 million pounds, which could prove to be too steep for Liverpool despite their Champions League cash boost.

Valbuena future uncertain

Mathieu Valbuena is a target for Arsenal and Liverpool after admitting he's unsure of his future at Marseille following Marcelo Bielsa's appointment.

TalkSPORT claims the Premier League pair are weighing up bids for the France international after it was suggested that he might not fit into Bielsa's plans next season.

Valbuena is happy to wait and see, however, and told reporters: "I'm the first person to regret the poor season we've had and it has been a difficult year from a personal and a collective point of view. People say I'm not trusted by Bielsa but that's not true. He has his project but I haven't discussed it with him yet." United resurrect Koke interest

Transfer Talk doesn't believe this rumour for a second, but it's our job to bring you the juiciest gossip in the world of football, so here we go anyway.

According to Spanish paper El Confidencial, Manchester United plan to smash their transfer record with a 48-million-pound deal to sign Koke from Atletico Madrid.

The Spain international starred in Atletico's stunning season, claiming 13 assists in La Liga as Diego Simeone's side marched to the title.

The Daily Star quotes El Confidencial reporting that, "Louis van Gaal is not deterred by the fee", which would make 22-year-old Koke the ninth-most-expensive player in history.

Guarin on Premier League radar

Tottenham are set to rival Manchester United and Chelsea's interest in Internazionale star Fredy Guarin.

The Colombia international, who has been included in Jose Pekerman's squad for the World Cup, was close to joining Juventus in January before Inter pulled the plug on the transfer amid protests from supporters.

However, after they recruited Hernanes from Lazio, it seems Inter can now afford to let Guarin depart, and The Daily Star reports that the 27-year-old may be destined for the Premier League.

A transfer to Tottenham could see Erik Lamela move in the opposite direction, while United and Chelsea have also been linked to the midfielder.

Cesc appeal

It isn't clear whether Louis van Gaal wants to bring Cesc Fabregas to Manchester United this summer, but that hasn't stopped David De Gea trying to twist his Spanish teammate's arm into joining him at Old Trafford.

"He is a top player, there are many clubs who want him," said De Gea. "I have spoken to him to go to Manchester, but it will be complicated."

A 30-million-pound bid would probably be enough to secure Fabregas' signature, but United face competition from Arsenal, who are rumoured to have first refusal on the 27-year-old.

- Another player who could arrive at Spurs is England No.3 keeper Fraser Forster. The Celtic shot-stopper has emerged as a potential replacement for Hugo Lloris, who is attracting interest from Paris Saint-Germain.

- According to The Mirror, Arsenal have been knocked back by Atletico Madrid after launching a 9-million-pound raid for Juanfran. Arsene Wenger apparently sees the right-back as the perfect replacement for Bacary Sagna, but is also tracking Atsuto Uchida and Serge Aurier as possible alternatives.

- Atletico Madrid are sniffing around Alvaro Negredo as they prepare for Diego Costa's departure to Chelsea. The Manchester City striker impressed in the first half of the season, but couldn't hit a bovine bottom with a banjo from February onwards, failing to score in 16 appearances.

- Finally, The Mirror reports that Chelsea forward Demba Ba is in talks over an 8-million-pound switch to Besiktas to make room for Costa's arrival.